System and Writing in the Philosophy of Jacques Derrida

Erscheinungsjahr 2005
ISBN: 978-0-521-44852-9
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, Band 40, 253 Seiten, Format (B × H): 140 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 366 g

Reihe: Cambridge Studies in French

This is an important new critical analysis of Derrida's theory of writing, based upon close readings of key texts ranging from his stringent critique of structuralist criticism to his sympathetic and dialogical analysis of Freud's scriptural models. It reveals a dimension of Derrida's thinking which, although consistently present in his works, has been neglected in favour of those 'deconstructionist' clichés used in much recent literary criticism. Christopher Johnson highlights the special character of Derrida's philosophy that comes from the fertilising contact that Derrida has had with contemporary natural science and with systems theory. In addition, he shows how Derrida's philosophy of system and writing rejoins an atomist and materialist tradition repressed by centuries of idealist metaphysics. This study casts new light on an exacting set of intellectual issues facing philosophy and critical theory today.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Johnson, Christopher

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Geschichte der Westlichen Philosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturtheorie: Poetik und Literaturästhetik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: From language to writing: the interdisciplinary matrix; 1. The passion of inscription; 2. Infinity, inscription, the economy; 3. Beyond the seen of writing; 4. The element of play; 5. Evolution and the 'life' sciences; Conclusion: Metaphor and more than metaphor; Notes; Bibliography.